Automated ringback update system

ABSTRACT

An automated ringback update system for customizing ringback signals is disclosed. Communications devices activate and interact with the automated ringback update system via the recognition of a feature associated with a printed matter to allow for modifications of the network service.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the customization of acommunications network and, more particularly, to the customization of acommunications network including replacement ringback announcements andthe system for electronically associating a network address or telephonenumber with custom replacement ringback content using a machinerecognizable feature or printed feature, such as a barcode.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most conventional communications networks today, particularly existingtelephone networks, provide a calling party with an audible ringbacksignal when an intended called network address or station line is idleand a busy signal when the intended called network address or stationline is already in use (i.e., the telephone or other device at thecalled network address is being used). Conventional networks alsoprovide a calling party with an audible dial tone signal when thetelephone or other device at the calling station signals the networkthat they wish to initiate a call or network communication and a line isavailable. Most conventional communications networks today, particularlyexisting telephone networks, also provide advanced features, such ascall waiting. The call waiting feature allows a station or devicealready connected to another station or device to temporarily disconnectfrom a first call and receive a second incoming call, and then switchbetween the calling parties.

For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,557,658, 5,428,670, and 5,321,740 toGregorek et al., incorporated herein by reference, disclose theselective modification or replacement of at least a portion of a callprogress signal, including the conventional aforementioned ringbacksignal, dial tone, busy signal, call waiting signal, and call waitingidle time, with prerecorded announcements and/or audio/videoprogramming. These announcements and/or programming provide moreinformation to a calling party. The replacement announcements and tonescan be tailored to a specific calling party and can be associated with acalling party's unique network address or telephone number.

Custom ringback announcements allow for an additional level offlexibility and personalization of a user's communications networkservice. To customize the system, a user of a replacement ringbacksystem, the network provider, or a third party might wish to deliver,for example, audio/video programming, music, interactive games, jokes,personalized messages, or informational messages to a calling party tosupplement and/or replace the conventional ringback tones played to thecalling party. Furthermore, replacement content can be customized for aspecific calling party or group of calling parties. The replacementringback system offers a convenient and simple way to extend a caller'scommunication experience and takes advantage of a previously unutilizedcall transmission period.

In addition, replacement ringback tones and announcements offer almostlimitless applications in the marketing industry. Typically, a callerexperiences a rather large amount of unused idle time when waiting for acalled party to answer his or her telephone. A caller may also be put onhold for several minutes while the called party answers another inboundcall (e.g., a called party may place an initial caller on call-waitingor hold to answer a second inbound call). Since ringback tones can beplayed to all parties, regardless of the called party's or callingparty's own carrier or calling transmission means (i.e., whether thecaller is calling from a wireless link or land line, etc.), replacementringback tones are an ideal medium for advertising. Substantial revenuecan be gained by taking advantage of this idle time to deliveradvertisements pertaining to consumer goods, products, services, etc.provided by a particular corporation or individual. Further, sincecommunication devices are virtually ubiquitous and universally used,ringback tones have the potential to reach a large, targeted audiencevery quickly and efficiently. For example, businesses may usereplacement ringback tones to deliver company slogans, jingles, andpromotions to increase exposure and publicity.

As the adoption of the technology identified in the above-referencedapplication is emerging, certain drawbacks in the user interface forenabling the functionality of the application are arising. For example,a subscriber is usually required to notify the network provider inadvance if the subscriber desires a new ringback replacement associationvia a Short Message Service (SMS) message, email, or telephone call tothe communications network's voice response system or call center. Thisadvance notification, for example, usually contains at least the networkaddress or addresses to be associated with the new ringback content andan identification of the desired replacement ringback content.Alternatively, a communications network may utilize a website designedto facilitate interaction with the network's ringback replacementsystem. After an authentication and identification process, a user of areplacement ringback website may specify new ringback content to beadded to the user's ringback service via a user-friendly web interfaceand a series of graphical prompts and menus. The desired ringbackcontent may be already stored on the communications network (or a thirdparty location) or the user may select local content to be transferredto a storage location accessible by the communications network. Thewebsite may utilize standard HTTP upload functionality, File TransferProtocol (FTP), or any other data transfer or upload mechanism toinitiate the transfer of the replacement ringback content to thecommunications network. The network provider then makes the necessarychanges to the subscriber's service to associate the appropriate networkaddress or addresses with the desired ringback content.

Also, notification and confirmation by external means are often requiredto update or change the ringback content for an already-existingringback association. For example, an exchange of emails may be requiredto effect the change in service, or a visit to a website may benecessary to modify replacement ringback functionality. This ofteninconvenient and time-consuming method of updating or adding newringback content to a user's service discourages subscribers of aringback replacement service from frequently modifying or adding newringback replacement associations, thus reducing potential revenue bydeterring regular and repeated ringback content purchasing andutilization.

Systems are known in the art for accessing media via printed matter. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,863 to Rathus et al. discloses the use of amachine recognizable feature associated with a printed matter to obtainmore information about the printed matter. A user can access relatedprogramming material simply by scanning or otherwise electronicallyrecognizing a machine recognizable feature. For example, a barcode maybe scanned in a magazine advertisement to access purchasing informationon the Internet or display a music video related to the magazineadvertisement.

In order to streamline ringback tone content, a system is needed toreadily modify ringback tones via a communications device or station.Since many communications devices feature integrated or attachablerecognition units (e.g., scanners, cameras, readers, microphones,sensors, or the like), it would be advantageous if the subscribers of acustom ringback replacement service could utilize a printed matter, suchas a brochure, book, magazine, newspaper, advertisement, or the like,associated with a machine recognizable feature, such as a barcode,digital watermark, hologram, indicia, symbol, picture, or the like, toautomatically select and interact with a system for customizingreplacement ringback content on a communications network. Thus aseamless system is needed that is accessed directly from a user'shandset or station, for easily modifying or adding ringback associationsto a subscriber's service using a printed feature or machinerecognizable object.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises an automated ringback update system foradding ringback content or announcements to a subscriber's networkservice directly from the subscriber's handset or station. Ringbackcontent or announcements could comprise audio (e.g., music, jingles,sound effects, or live or prerecorded voice), video (e.g., interactivegames, movie clips, or live or prerecorded video), data (e.g., pictures,computer screen shots, electronic documents, spreadsheets, databases,etc.) or a combination of audio, video, and data, as well as otherprogramming material. The present invention is further directed to asystem for electronically recognizing a printed feature, therebyautomatically creating or modifying replacement ringback associations.Ringback associations are simple logic used to determine what ringbackcontent is played to which incoming callers. For example, a ringbackassociation might specify that a certain advertisement is to be playedto all incoming callers calling from the “212”-New York City area code.Another ringback association might specify the playing of TheStar-Spangled Banner to all incoming callers calling on July 4 of eachyear. In the present invention, the ringback update system is accessedvia hard or soft keys on a user's handset, an attachable keypad orkeyboard, a voice-activated speech recognition module, or the like modesof access. The system may also be accessed via the recognition of aprinted feature or machine recognizable object. Based on the input, thesystem may connect to a storage device for the subscriber to select adesired ringback announcement (for example, a video clip, music, anadvertisement, an interactive game, news footage, or some otherprogramming material) already stored within the communications networkor a locally stored announcement to be uploaded to the ringback system.Then the subscriber either manually inputs or automatically chooses byspeaking predetermined voice commands translated to common phonemes adesired network address or telephone number to be associated with thepreviously selected ringback announcement. As a result, the user'scommunications network (or a third party contracted to provide ringbackservices on behalf of the user's communications network) requests theringback system to play the newly associated announcement to the callingparty whenever the selected network address or telephone number callsthe subscriber. Users of the present invention include any end user,such as subscribers to the network service provider, as well anyoriginating, terminating, or intermediate network service providersthemselves, and third party users, such as advertisers.

The present system is also directed to a ringback update system which iscapable of modifying currently associated network addresses or telephonenumbers with new ringback announcements (or revert to conventionaltones) directly from a user's handset or station. The subscriber selectsthe currently associated network address or telephone number and thenchooses a new replacement ringback announcement. The ringback systemthen plays the newly-associated announcement to the calling partywhenever the calling party calls the subscriber from the selectednetwork address or telephone number. For example, a user, who knows thatone of the user's frequent callers has an affinity for classical music,might update the ringback association for that frequent caller as newclassical releases become available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the present invention can be obtained byreference to a preferred embodiment as set forth in the illustrations ofthe accompanying drawings. Although the illustrated embodiment is merelyexemplary of systems for carrying out the present invention, both theorganization and method of operation of the invention, in general,together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be moreeasily understood by reference to the drawings and the followingdescription. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of thisinvention, which is set forth with particularity in the claims asappended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplifythe specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference isnow made to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 (PRIOR ART) is a block diagram of a common ringback replacementsystem;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram in accordance with the handset-originatedautomated ringback update system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram in accordance with the network-originatedautomated ringback update system of the present invention;

FIG. 4 depicts a wireless telephone with a display and hard, soft, andtouch keys used to activate and interact with the automated ringbackupdate system;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the initial interaction between auser and the automated ringback update system;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a user andthe automated ringback update system for viewing a ringback association;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a user andthe automated ringback update system for adding a new ringbackassociation;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a user andthe automated ringback update system for modifying an already existingringback association;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a user andthe automated ringback update system for displaying all ringback contentavailable on the network;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a userand the automated ringback update system for displaying all networkaddresses stored on the user's station;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a userand the automated ringback update system for selecting more than onenetwork address;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a userand the automated ringback update system for selecting a ringbackplayback variation;

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a userand the automated ringback update system for creating an album ofringback announcements to be played by the replacement ringback system;

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a userand the automated ringback update system for associating a timereference or window with a ringback association; and,

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating the interaction between a userand the automated ringback update system for associating a network orgeographic location with a ringback association.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the present inventionis disclosed herein. However, techniques, systems, and operatingstructures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in awide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite differentfrom those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specificstructural and functional details disclosed herein are merelyrepresentative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the bestembodiment for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for theclaims herein, which define the scope of the present invention. Thefollowing presents a detailed description of a preferred embodiment (aswell as some alternative embodiments) of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like elementsthroughout, there is shown in FIG. 1 (PRIOR ART) a conventionalnetwork-originated system for supplying replacement ringback content inaccordance with a typical ringback control system. As is well known inthe art, when a user of first telephone 102 initiates a call, aconnection is formed with first switch 107 at first local central office100, which is usually associated with a local telephone company. Firstswitch 107 typically transmits a dial tone back to first telephone 102to indicate the availability of the telephone service. The telephonenumber dialed or otherwise entered by the calling party using firsttelephone 102 or an associated device is transmitted to local centraloffice 100 as a series of signals which are detected by first switch107. First switch 107 refers to a network control point, networkcontroller, or communications network traffic switching and controlmechanism, such as a central office or premises-based audio, data,video, or hybrid switch, a packet switch, or Asynchronous Transfer Mode(ATM) switch, or any associated signaling network control point, servicecontrol point, or service switching point or system which routes,monitors, and/or handles and controls calls over a communicationsnetwork. First switch 107 is responsible for determining the destination(network address) of the call based upon the transmitted signal (i.e.,the number dialed). First switch 107 transmits the call initiated by theuser of first telephone 102 over communications network 112 toward anidentified network address or called station, which in the presentembodiment comprises second telephone 104, but could comprise any othertype of communication device. The called network address or station isidentified by the telephone number or network address entered by thecalling party at first telephone 102. Communications network 112 couldbe a local exchange network, interexchange network, long distancenetwork, international network, telecommunications network, cabletelevision network, broadcast network, switched network, dedicatednetwork, the Internet, Voice over IP (VoIP) network, wireless network,Wi-Fi network, WiMAX network, or a hybrid type of the foregoing networksor any network similar to the aforementioned networks.

The call from the calling party is received by second switch 110 locatedat second local central office 101 which determines the status of secondtelephone 104 (i.e., whether second telephone 104 is in a busy state orin an idle state). Attached network signaling system service node 111can also determine the busy/idle status of the called network address orstation line. The specific procedure by which second switch 110 orattached network signaling system service node 111 determines thebusy/idle status of the called network address or station line is commonand well-known to those skilled in the art.

Depending upon the configuration of the network, either first audiblesignal generator 105 and first message generator 106 or second audiblesignal generator 108 and second message generator 109 can transmit thecall progress signals to the user of first telephone 102. For thepurposes of discussion, when a user of first telephone 102 initiates acommunication session with second telephone 104, second audible signalgenerator 108 and second message generator 109 may provide signalsand/or announcements to the user of first telephone 102. Second messagegenerator 109 is connected to second switch 110 and is capable ofsupplementing and/or replacing the signals generated by second audiblesignal generator 108. Second switch 110 or attached network signalingsystem service node 111 determines whether second audible signalgenerator 108 or second message generator 109 is activated. When a userof first telephone 102 initiates a communication session with secondtelephone 104, second switch 110 or attached network signaling systemservice node 111 activates second audible signal generator 108 toprovide a conventional audible ringback signal and activates secondmessage generator 109 to play a series of prerecorded announcements(i.e., replacement ringback content) to the user of first telephone 102.First telephone 102 may also be attached to display 103 for thetransmission of video signals. It is to be understood that the signalgeneration functions of second audible signal generator 108 and secondmessage generator 109 could alternatively be provided by third-party oroutside audible signal and message generators as required by thecommunications network.

In most wireless, cellular, and trunked telephone networks, upon networkaccess the transmission of a dial tone by first switch 107 issuppressed. In addition, typically the busy/idle status of secondtelephone 104 determines if a caller to a wireless or cellular stationis automatically transferred to a network voice mail system; if a user'scommunications station is busy, off-line, powered off, or cannot belocated, a caller is most often redirected to a network voice mail boxin lieu of the transmission of a busy signal. Message generator 109 maysimilarly deliver announcements to users calling wireless, cellular, ortrunked stations before, after, or during any transfer to a networkvoice mail service.

Announcements are enabled by inserting a software subroutine into thecall processing software of the network. The various mechanisms forincorporating software into the call processing system of the networkare well-known to those skilled in the art. The software subroutinecauses call processing procedures to be modified and allows firstmessage generator 106, second message generator 109, or a third-partymessage generator to become an integral part of the call completionsequence.

Second message generator 109 can also play certain messages based on thetime of day, day of week, month of year, or any other time framereference or window. An integrated or external clock may be synchronizedwith second message generator 109 for monitoring the time of day, day ofweek, and month of year. When a call is placed to second telephone 104from first telephone 102, and second message generator 109 has beensignaled to initiate a message sequence, the information from the clockis read by second message generator 109 and is compared to informationlocated in a look-up table in the memory of second message generator 109to determine which messages are to be played. For example, a user of thepresent system could specify a prerecorded video to be transmitted to acalling party calling the user from video-telephone number“212-555-1212” on January 25 of each year (the user's birthday, forexample) whenever video-telephone “212-555-1212” calls the user onJanuary 25. As another example, a user could specify a certain holidaymusic clip to be delivered to all callers calling on Christmas Day, anda different music clip to be transmitted on all other days. Secondmessage generator 109 retrieves designated messages until secondtelephone 104 is answered or the calling party abandons the call. Itshould be appreciated that, if desired, live announcements may beprovided under the control of second message generator 109.

If second message generator 109 is set to determine which announcementsare to be played based upon the area code and telephone number of firsttelephone 102, second message generator 109 can read the telephonenumber of the calling party as provided by the telephone network (e.g.,second message generator 109 can use an automatic number identification(ANI) system or similar identification system(s) which are well-known inthe art to identify the area code, telephone number, or othercharacteristics of the calling party) and determine the geographicallocation of the calling party by matching the telephone number with alocation provided by an updateable look-up table linked to secondmessage generator 109 and maintained by the central office, an affiliatethereof, or other third party. Second message generator 109 determineswhich announcements are designated for a particular area code andtelephone exchange and plays the appropriate prerecorded messages untilsecond telephone 104 is answered or until the calling party abandons thecall.

It should also be appreciated that the present invention is not limitedto traditional telephone networks (for example, PSTN or the like). Withthe evolution of enhanced services and the convergence of telephony withdata interfaces, today's networks are increasingly merging with standardInternet protocols for signaling and media. It is now common in the artfor some of these networks to allow for the separation of the signalingfrom the media transport. For example, an increasing number ofCompetitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) and Internet TelephonyService Providers (ITSPs) are offering such services as local and longdistance telephony, Voice over IP (VoIP), presence and instantmessaging, push-to-talk, rich media conferencing, and more, based onSession Initiation Protocol (SIP). Unlike traditional telephonenetworks, users of SIP-based networks can locate and contact one anotherregardless of media content and the number of participants.

For example, FIG. 2 illustrates the interaction between two SIP-baseduser agents (each with a SIP address, such as sip:user@localhost.com)while establishing a communication session in different domains. SIPuser agents may be any end-user devices, such as wireless telephones,multimedia handsets (e.g., video telephones), mobile computers, PDAs, orany other devices capable of creating and managing SIP sessions. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, user agents 202 and 203 are located within firstdomain 200 and user agents 207 and 208 are located within second domain201. User agent 203 within first domain 200, in attempting to establisha communication session with user agent 207 located in second domain201, first contacts SIP proxy server 204 located within first domain 200of user agent 203. SIP proxy server 204 may be any packet switch, proxyserver, gateway, service control point, softswitch, call controller, orother like structure. SIP proxy server 204 recognizes that user agent207 is outside its own domain and contacts SIP redirect server 205 forthe network address of user agent 207. SIP redirect server 205 may belocated in either first domain 200 or second domain 201 (or bothdomains) and responds to the proxy server's request with user agent's207 contact information (e.g., current IPv4 or IPv6 address). SIP proxyserver 204 forwards a session invitation to SIP proxy server 206 locatedin domain 201 identified by the contact information received from SIPredirect server 205. The invitation may include a session description(perhaps written in Session Description Protocol (SDP) format) thatprovides the called party with enough information to join the session.For multicast sessions, the session description enumerates the mediatypes and formats that are allowed to be distributed to that session.For a unicast session, the session description enumerates the mediatypes and formats that user agent 203 is willing to use and the desiredlocation to send the media data.

Next, SIP proxy server 206 delivers the session invitation to user agent207. If the session invitation is acceptable to user agent 207, useragent 207 creates an acknowledgment reply and forwards the reply back toSIP proxy server 206. Finally, SIP proxy server 206 forwards theacknowledgment back to SIP proxy server 204 located in first domain 200.SIP proxy server 204 then relays the acknowledgment back to theinitiating user agent 203. User agents 203 and 207 may then create apoint-to-point communication connection (e.g., using Real-Time TransportProtocol (RTP) or any other protocol or delivery method supported byuser agents 203 and 207) enabling the two user agents to interact. Oncea point-to-point connection is established, replacement ringbackannouncements may be delivered to user agent 203 from a variety ofsources. For example, replacement ringback announcements may bedelivered directly from user agent 207 when the underlying protocolsignals user agent 207 to deliver its ringback announcement.Alternatively, replacement ringback announcements may be delivered touser agent 203 on behalf of user agent 207 from a network server,application server, media server, dedicated ringback server, or from athird-party server.

Now referring to FIG. 3, a schematic block diagram of an automatedringback update system is shown in accordance with the preferredembodiment of the present invention. The present invention is designedfor use with any type of communications network including any networkcapable of transmitting voice, data, video, multimedia, real time, storeand forward, interactive, hybrid types of information, or other similarinformation services. The communications network may be provided by aprivate or publicly-owned local exchange, interexchange, long distance,international, telecommunications, cable television, broadcast,switched, dedicated, wireless, Voice over IP (VoIP), Wi-Fi, WiMAX,hybrid types of network providers, or other like networks. Thecommunications network provided by these network providers may utilizewireless, facilities-based, satellite-based, hybrid types oftransmission schemes and/or mechanisms, or other systems of similarfunction. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, the embodiments of theinvention illustrated in the figures are specifically directed to astandard or typical telephone system used for providing voicecommunication between two individual network addresses (e.g., in thepresent embodiment, these network addresses correlate to telephonestations or telephones). However, it should be clearly understood bythose skilled in the art from this disclosure that the present inventionis not limited to access from such standard telephone stations or totelephone station communications systems. In addition, while in thedescribed embodiment one or both of the telephone stations areillustrated as being typical or standard telephone instruments, theterms “station” and “handset” could refer to any device or object whichmay be connected to or be an integral part of a communications network.A communications network may allow for the initiation, receipt and/orinteraction of audio and/or visual information. This information mayinclude voice, data, video, multimedia, real-time, store and forward,interactive or hybrid types of information. It should also be clearlyunderstood that the terms “station” and “handset” should be read toinclude, but not be limited to, devices such as wireless or cellulartelephones, personal digital assistants, digital personal organizers,televisions, video monitors, video telephones, computers, televisionset-top converters, modems, video servers, front end processors, othercommunications networks, and combinations or hybrids thereof.

Still referring to FIG. 3, automated ringback update system 304 is incommunication with network storage device 306 and message generator 305.As is common in the art, network storage device 306 maintains theringback replacement content on behalf of the subscribers of the servicein indexed files. Although network storage device 306 is depicted as aninternal central office device, it is contemplated that network storagedevice 306 may be external to the central office. It should beappreciated that if the communications network is a packet-based network(e.g., the Internet, WAN, LAN, VoIP, or virtual private network), or apoint-to-point network, storage device 306 may be internal to the calledstation and certain functionality common to a switched-environmentcentral office may be delegated to the handset device. As also known inthe art, each file of ringback replacement content can be accessed by aunique identification number or name, assigned either by thecommunications service provider or by network storage device 306. Bypressing a hard, soft, or touch key on telephone 301, or through the useof an attachable input instrument or voice recognition module (or likedevice), telephone 301 connects to the automated ringback update system304 through communication link 303 available to telephone 301.Communication link 303 may comprise a portion of the main communicationsnetwork accessible by telephone 301, or may be a supplemental,peripheral, or ad-hoc network designed primarily for accessing automatedringback update system 304. In the preferred embodiment, communicationlink 303 is a wireless link, comprising part of a Cellular DigitalPacket Data (CDPD), High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD), PacketData Cellular (PDC), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code DivisionMultiple Access (CDMA), 1xRTT, Global System for Mobile Communications(GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, 2G,3G, Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS), MultichannelMultipoint Distribution Service (MMDS), or other wireless network,including protocols not yet implemented, utilizing Wireless ApplicationProtocol (WAP) or the equivalent thereof. It will also be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that communication link 303 could comprise aportion of any wired or wireless communications network over anycommunication or network protocol designed for data transmission.

Automated ringback update system 304 may also be accessed via integratedor attachable feature recognition unit 310. Upon recognition of aprinted feature 309, shown as a barcode in the preferred embodiment (butcan comprise any printed matter or feature capable of being actuated orrecognized by a machine), telephone 301 or feature recognition unit 310(with integrated controller) transmits a coded signal indicative ofprinted feature 309 over communication link 303. Automated ringbackupdate system 304 receives the coded signal over communication link 303and automatically configures the subscriber's replacement ringbackservice. For example, printed feature 309 may be a barcode on anadvertisement for a newly released music album. With the recognition ofprinted feature 309 by integrated or attachable feature recognition unit310, automated ringback update system 304 may automatically add a newringback announcement to the user's replacement ringback inventory. Forexample, the title song from the newly released music album depicted inthe advertisement associated with printed feature 309 may be added tothe user's ringback replacement service and automatically configured asthe user's replacement ringback announcement for all incoming callersupon recognition of printed feature 309. Automated ringback updatesystem 304 may download and purchase the replacement ringbackannouncement from storage device 306 upon recognition of printed feature309, if required or desired. If the selected ringback announcement doesnot already exist on the communications network (e.g., other users havenot already caused the communications network to download theannouncement) then the announcement may be downloaded via ShortMessaging Service (SMS), Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS), MultimediaMessaging Service (MMS), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), or anyother available service or protocol the network supports for downloadingringback content and then added to the user's ringback inventory. If thecommunications network supports delivery of ringback signals directlyfrom telephone 301 (as in the case of a packet-based, VoIP, or SIP-basednetwork), the desired ringback announcement may be downloaded totelephone 301.

Telephone 301 could also be connected to (or comprise an integrated)video display unit 302, such as a computer terminal, video terminal, LCDscreen, LED display, plasma display, telephone monitor, or matrixdisplay for the transmission of video signals. It is to be understood bythose skilled in the art that automated ringback update system 304 isnot limited to access from a conventional wireless telephone device. Forexample, the automated ringback update system 304 can be accessed fromany state of the art communications device, including web-enabledwireless telephones, video telephones, mobile and desktop computers, anddigital personal assistants or hybrid devices with telephony orcommunications capabilities.

Automated ringback update system 304 monitors all call initiationrequests with telephone 301. When another caller attempts to initiatecommunication with telephone 301, automated ringback update system 304analyzes the incoming station identification. As is common in the art,incoming station identification is specific to the underlyingcommunications network and can include a network address (e.g., an IPaddress), a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a telephone number obtainedfrom “caller ID” or automatic number identification (ANI), or any otherstation identifying means capable of being ascertained by thecommunications network or telephone 301. For example, SIP signalingmessages, Q.931 signaling messages, or packet headers might be analyzedfor calling party address information. Simple logic within automatedringback update system 304 compares this incoming identificationinformation with all the replacement ringback associations created bythe user of telephone 301, the network provider, or a third party. If anassociation matches an incoming network address or telephone number,message generator 305 plays the appropriate replacement ringback contentto calling telephone 308 until telephone 301 is answered or the callerabandons the call.

As shown in FIG. 4, depicted is wireless telephone 400 with integrateddisplay 403 used in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent system. Integrated display 403 can be a liquid crystal, LED,plasma, active-matrix, flat-panel, or any other display or device usedto display information to a user, such as output video or graphicalsignals. Integrated display 403 can further comprise a touch screen. Inthis scenario, the automated ringback update system may be accessed by auser touching a pen or stylus to the appropriate touch buttons 406 onthe touch screen. Navigation and data entry are also supported via touchbuttons preferably positioned on integrated display 403. Alternatively,the user accesses the ringback system by utilizing soft keys 401 or hardkeys 402 integrated within or positioned local to keypad 404. Wirelesstelephone 400 may also include a secondary attachable keypad or keyboardthat facilitates access to and use of the automated ringback updatesystem. In addition to using hard, soft, touch, or attachable keys, auser of the automated ringback update system may use a voice recognitionmodule integrated within wireless telephone 400 to access, navigate, andinput selections into the automated ringback update system. As iswell-known in the art, speech recognition may be used to dial telephonenumbers, access applications and features, navigate screens, and inputdata. With the use of voice recognition, a user may access and controlthe present invention without the use of a traditional input device;however, a combination of the input systems and methods may be utilized.A user of the present invention may also utilize integrated orattachable feature recognition unit 407 to access and interact with theautomated ringback update system. For example, a barcode, magneticstrip, watermark, hologram, printed indicia, or any other printedfeature capable of being recognized by a machine, may be captured,scanned, swiped, or otherwise recognized by feature recognition unit 407to facilitate automatic access and data entry. Feature recognition unit407 may comprise any recognition device, including, but not limited to,a scanner, a sensor, a magnetic swipe reader, a camera, an infraredreceptor, a quantum dot sensor, or an RFID transceiver or reader.Feature recognition unit 407 may also include an integrated intelligentcontroller.

Now referring to FIG. 5, a flowchart of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention is shown depicting the interaction between a user andthe automated ringback update system. A user accesses the automatedringback update system 500 using one of the access methods describedabove. The first step of interaction between the user and the automatedringback update system is authorization routine 501 which verifies thecurrent status of the user. Within authorization routine 501, userstatus is confirmed and verified to determine if access to the automatedringback update system should be granted. For example, if the user isnot currently authorized to use the ringback system, the user may berequired to subscribe to the ringback service. If the user isunauthorized, authorization routine 501 presents the user with helpscreen 504. Help screen 504 prompts the user to verify or confirm thatsubscription to the ringback service is desired. If subscription to theservice is requested, the user may be required to input billinginformation or personal identifying information, such as a password,PIN, or social security or account number, at subscription input stage505 in order to complete subscription to the ringback service. Data isprovided to the system through hard, soft, attachable, or touch keys, orvia voice recognition. If the subscription process does not completesuccessfully, or if the user chooses to cancel the subscription process,the user is returned to the calling system at exit stage 506.

In addition, if the user's account is determined to be presentlydelinquent, authorization stage 501 requests the user to provideimmediate payment information via help screen 504 and subscription inputstage 505 in order to bring the user's account into good standing. Thismay be achieved by authorizing an automatic one-time debit of the user'scredit or checking account linked with the user's account, or bypresenting the user with subscription input screen 505 so that the usermight type, touch, or speak the user's billing information into thesystem. If the user's account is not determined to be in good standingat the conclusion of subscription input screen 505, the user is returnedto the calling system at stage 506.

On the other hand, an authorized user, or a user who has presentlybecome authorized or subscribed, is presented with welcome display 502indicating that the user has successfully activated the automatedringback update system. Welcome display 502 may additionally besupplemented to display targeted content to the user accessing theringback update system. The targeted content may be selected based onthe current location of the user accessing the system (determined by theuser's network address or telephone number), or targeted content may bedetermined based on user-supplied or user-derived interests. Forexample, a user accessing the system from a New York City area codemight be presented with local advertising, music, news, or informationimportant to New York City residents or visitors. In another example, auser who has expressed an interest in outdoor cycling via an onlinesurvey might receive content regarding bicycles and related supplies atwelcome display 502. Additionally, welcome display 502 might alert theuser to new ringback content available on the network since the userlast accessed the system. The automated ringback update system includeslogic for determining a genre or category of content preferred by thecurrent user (based on previous content selections or user-suppliedinformation) and automatically alerts the user to new content matchingthe user's interests. At view or add association stage 503, the usernext chooses whether to view or add a ringback association. In oneembodiment, the user enters the appropriate key (e.g., selects “1”) toview or update a ringback association, and the user enters a distinctappropriate key (e.g., selects “2”) to add a new association. In anotherembodiment, at view or add association stage 503 the user presses a softkey on the user's handset to highlight and select “CHANGE” or “ADD” onthe station's integrated display.

To view or update a replacement ringback association, the user followsthe interaction depicted in FIG. 6. First, the user enters the desiredcalling station identification at station identification input 600. Thesystem verifies the inputted identification at station validation stage601, and if a valid identification is entered, the system presents asummary display 602 of the association with the specified callingstation identification. If an invalid station identification is entered,the user is returned to station identification input 600 until a validstation identification is entered. Once the summary display 602 ispresented to the user, the user can select to exit the system or updatethe association at update association stage 603. If the user chooses notto update the association, the system returns the user to the callingsystem at exit stage 604.

To add a new ringback replacement association, the user follows theinteraction depicted in FIG. 7. The user first enters a uniquealphanumeric corresponding to the desired ringback announcement atringback content input 700. Unique ringback alphanumeric codes can beaccessible through numerous sources. For example, ringback alphanumericcodes may be published on the communications network's website or thecodes could be periodically downloaded to a file on the user's handset.In one embodiment, unique alphanumeric identification codescorresponding to available ringback content are cached in a file on theuser's handset. In an alternate embodiment, the system directly queriesthe communications network for its list of available ringbackannouncements stored on the network. If the ringback announcementalphanumeric identification codes are cached on the handset in a file,this file may contain the title and the identification alphanumeric ofeach ringback announcement stored on the network provider's storagedevice(s). In addition, a short description of the ringback content andits genre are included, if available. The user looks up the desiredreplacement ringback announcement in the file and inputs theidentification alphanumeric corresponding to the desired announcement.The user may also optionally utilize a feature recognition unit to scan,read, or capture a machine recognizable feature. By recognizing thefeature, a coded signal corresponding to a ringback identificationalphanumeric is transmitted to the automated ringback update system. Thesystem automatically converts the coded signal to its correspondingalphanumeric by consulting an updateable look-up table or database. Ifthe user desires to remove an association, the user enters the nullringback identification alphanumeric at ringback content input 700(e.g., the user selects “0”). The null announcement erases anassociation and reverts the caller's ringback tone to the conventionaltone.

At ringback content input 700, the ringback update system also includesa search feature to assist the user in finding the correct ringbackidentification alphanumeric based on the first few letters of the title,genre, or artist of the content. For example, a user entering theletters “REGG” into the search engine might match the “reggae” musicalgenre, causing the automated ringback update system to display a list ofall musical content in the reggae genre available on the network to beused as ringback content. Next, the identification alphanumeric isverified by the system at ringback content validation stage 601. Valididentification alphanumerics consist of all the existing and availableringback announcements on the communications network or the nullannouncement (for reverting to conventional tones). If an invalidringback identification is entered, the user repeats ringback contentinput 700 until a valid identification alphanumeric is entered. After avalid ringback identification is selected, the user next enters thestation identification of the calling party that the user wishes toassociate with the ringback announcement at station identification input702. The user may enter a wildcard character (e.g., the number 0) tomatch all network addresses. Station verification stage 703 verifiesthat the station identification entered is valid, and the systemproceeds to options input 704. If an invalid station identification isentered, the user returns to station identification input 702 until avalid identification is entered. At options input stage 704, the userinputs optional parameters, including a time reference (e.g., the timeof day, day of week, day of month, or month of year), for the deliveryof the replacement ringback content. Options verification stage 705checks the configured parameters for correct syntax and commit stage 706commits the new replacement ringback association to the communicationsnetwork. Thus, the replacement ringback addition may be added to thesystem in real-time, or, alternatively, if desired, the associations maybe cached by the network for bulk additions at a later time. If the newringback association specifies a network address that is alreadyassociated with a replacement ringback announcement, the new associationtakes precedence and overwrites the previous association. Lastly, amessage is presented to the user at more associations to process stage707 inquiring if there are more ringback associations to process. Anaffirmative answer at more associations to process stage 707 restartsthe entire process at ringback content input 700 whereas a negativeanswer at more associations to process stage 707 exits the ringbackupdate system and returns the user to the calling system at exit stage708.

If modifications are desired, the user's interaction with the system isdepicted in FIG. 8. First, the user decides at update ringback contentstage 800 whether the ringback announcement is to be updated. Anaffirmative answer at update ringback content stage 800 brings the userto the ringback identification input stage 801. The ringbackidentification is validated at ringback validation stage 802, and theuser is presented with options update stage 803. The system also bringsthe user to options update stage 803 if a negative answer is received atupdate ringback content stage 800. At options update stage 803, if theuser chooses not to process changes to the options of the association,then the user is brought to commit stage 806. If modifications to theoptions are desired, the user inputs these modifications at optionsinput 804. The options are checked for appropriate syntax at optionsvalidation 805, and the options are committed to the communicationsnetwork at commit stage 806. A summary display shows the updatedassociation at summary display 807, and the user is returned to thecalling system at exit stage 809.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG.9, the user at ringback content input 900 is presented with a menu ofavailable ringback announcements to facilitate entry of ringbackidentification alphanumeric codes. These available announcements may belocally stored on the user's handset or station or stored within thecommunications network or on a third party or network storage device.Ringback content input 900 connects to ringback content data 901, whichcould be stored locally within the communications network (e.g., in adatabase or file) or an external device may be queried to retrieveavailable ringback content data. The data is formatted and presented tothe user in user-friendly available content display 902. For example,the handset or station may have an integrated menu or list system fordisplaying lists of information. The user navigates through the listusing hard, soft, or attachable keys (or via voice recognition), and theuser highlights the desired ringback content. Assisted ringback contentinput 903 transfers the content identification alphanumericcorresponding to the selected ringback content to the ringback updatesystem in lieu of manually entering the alphanumeric. The user isreturned to the calling system at branch stage 904.

In another embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 10, theringback update system links to the user's electronic address book tofacilitate inputting network addresses. At station identification input1000, the user is presented with the address book stored on the handsetor station that is accessing the ringback update system. Stationidentification input 1000 connects to address book data 1001, storedeither on the handset or station itself or on a network location.Address book display 1002 lists all the network addresses or telephonenumbers contained in the user's address book in a user-friendly menu orlist. The user highlights the desired entry and presses the pound (“#”)or asterisk (“*”) key on the handset to confirm the selection. Stationidentification assisted input 1003 transfers the selected networkaddress or telephone number to the ringback update system. This obviatesthe need for manually inputting network addresses, which can beerror-prone and time-consuming. The user is returned to the callingsystem at branch stage 1004.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention, depicted in FIG. 11,allows a sequence of more than one network address to be entered atstation identification 1100. The user, the network provider, or a thirdparty enters a first network address at station identification input1100, followed by the pound (“#”) or asterisk (“*”) key, and then entersanother network address followed by the pound (“#”) or asterisk (“*”)key. Any mode of entering the network address common in the art may beutilized in alternate embodiments, and termination keys pound (“#”) andasterisk (“*”) may not be required. The station identification isverified at station identification validation stage 1101, and, if valid,the user is returned to station identification input 1100 so thatadditional network addresses may be entered. The user continues thisprocess until satisfied with the sequence and then presses the pound(“#”) or asterisk (“−”) key twice in succession to signal the conclusionof the network address input stage. This process effectively creates agroup membership list, which may be named and saved by the user on theuser's handset or station (or a network location) for potential futureuse. An invalid entry causes station identification validation stage1101 to return the user to the calling system at branch stage 1102. Inaddition, a user may enter a wildcard character (e.g., the number 0) tomatch all network addresses.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the user, thenetwork provider, or a third party is presented with additional playbackoptions as depicted in FIG. 12. Options input 1200 is supplemented withvariations input 1201 for the user to specify certain variations on howthe ringback content is presented to the calling party. For example, theuser can press the number “1” on the handset keypad to denote that onlythe replacement ringback should be played; number “2” to denote theplaying of a single conventional ringback tone followed by thereplacement ringback content; and, number “3” to denote the playing ofthe conventional ringback tone under the replacement ringback content(i.e. a blended conventional and replacement ringback tone). Forexample, the user enters the desired selection—“1,” “2,” or “3”—via thekeypad on the user's handset or station at variation input 1201. Thevariation selection is validated by variation validation stage 1202.Certain ringback content may not be eligible for certain variationoptions (e.g., an interactive game may not be available to be playedunder a conventional ringback tone since the conventional ringback tonemight interrupt the functionality of the game). These announcements aredeemed invalid and the user is returned to variation input 1201 so thata valid variation input may be selected. Once a valid variation optionis selected, the user is returned to the calling system at branch stage1203.

An additional embodiment of the present invention allows a sequence ofmore than one ringback announcement to be selected as depicted in FIG.13. At ringback content input 1300, the user, the network provider, or athird party enters a first ringback identification alphanumeric,followed by the pound (“#”) or asterisk (“*”) key and then entersanother ringback identification alphanumeric followed by the pound (“#”)or asterisk (“*”) key. Each alphanumeric is verified by ringbackvalidation stage 1301, and the user continues this process untilsatisfied with the sequence. The user either presses the pound (“#”) orasterisk (“*”) key twice in succession or selects an invalid ringbackcontent to signal the conclusion of the ringback content input. The useris then returned to the calling system at branch stage 1302. Thisembodiment allows the user to create an “album” of ringback content forthe purpose of cycling through the album sequence when replacing a callprogress signal. For example, a user might select all the music songsfrom a particular music album by a certain artist. Each time the calleridentified by the appropriate network address calls the user, a new songfrom the designated album is delivered to the user until all selectedsongs are delivered, at which point the album begins again. In anotherexample, a user may specify a collection of news articles in a certaincategory, like sports headlines. Each time the caller identified by theappropriate network address calls the user, an unheard sports headlineis delivered to the user until all headlines are delivered, at whichpoint the news album begins again.

Another embodiment utilizes the clock located within or synchronizedwith the message generator for the user, the network provider, or athird party to select a time reference or window for the playing ofreplacement content. Options input 1400 is supplemented by timereference input 1401 of FIG. 14, where the user specifies the time ofday, day of week, day of month, month of year, or some other timereference (e.g., absolute time measure from present time) to deliver thecorresponding announcement. The time reference or window is verified atvalidation stage 1402, and if the time reference is deemed invalid(e.g., the time format is incorrect or otherwise invalid), the user isreturned to time reference input 1401. Simple logic within the messagegenerator or the network signaling system service node requires theadditional matching of the selected time reference or window in additionto the correct network address; however, if a wildcard network addressis selected as the station identification for the association, the timereference or window will serve to deliver replacement ringback contentto all callers based only on the selected time reference or window. Forexample, this allows for a simple way to deliver the same ringbackcontent to all callers calling during a specified time (e.g., midnightthrough 8 am when the user is typically asleep). The user is thenreturned to the calling system at branch stage 1403.

A final embodiment utilizes the updateable look-up table linked to themessage generator for a user to specify geographic or network locationdata for the playing of replacement content. Options input 1500 issupplemented by location input 1501 of FIG. 15, where the user, thenetwork provider, or a third party specifies a network or geographiclocation for the delivery of the custom announcement. For example, ifthe network comprises a telephone network, the location data may includean area code (e.g., “212”) or an area code-plus-telephone number prefix(e.g., “212-555-”). The replacement association matches all callerswithin the specified area code or area code-plus-telephone numberprefix. This allows for the delivery of custom ringback content to anentire geographic region (e.g., New York City) based on network addressor telephone number. The location data may also comprise a domain name,domain prefix, domain suffix (e.g., “.edu” for all educational users),numeric network IP address and subnet mask, or any other discriminatingnetwork address value. The location input is verified at validationstage 1502, and if the location data is deemed invalid (e.g., thelocation format is incorrect or otherwise invalid), the user is returnedto location input 1501 to resubmit valid location data. After a validentry, the user is returned to the calling system at branch stage 1503.

From the foregoing descriotion of the preferred embodiments, whichembodiments have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposeof making a complete disclosure of the present invention, it can be seenthat the present invention comprises a system for automaticallyconfiguring replacement ringback content. It will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodimentdescribed above without departing from the broad inventive conceptthereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limitedto the particular embodiment disclosed, but it is intended to cover allmodifications that are within the scope and spirit of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

1. A system for customizing a communications network, the systemcomprising: a printed matter associated with at least one machinerecognizable feature; a communications station; a feature recognitionunit; a storage device containing at least one announcement; whereinsaid communications station accesses said storage device in response tothe recognition of said machine recognizable feature by said featurerecognition unit; and wherein at least a portion of a call signal isreplaced by at least a portion of said announcement.
 2. A system asdefined in claim 1 wherein said call signal is selected from the groupconsisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals,call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tonesignals.
 3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said announcement isselected from the group consisting of an audio clip, a video clip, adata file, an interactive game, advertising, and programming material.4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one announcementcomprises an album of related announcements.
 5. A system as defined inclaim 1 wherein said communications station is selected from the groupconsisting of a telephone, a wireless telephone, a cellular telephone, avideo telephone, a mobile computer, a personal digital assistant, and amultimedia handset.
 6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein saidcommunications network is selected from the group consisting of acircuit-switched network, a packet-based network, the Internet, a localarea network, a wide area network, a virtual private network, ametropolitan area network, a broadcast network, a wireless network, anda cellular network.
 7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein saidmachine recognizable feature is selected from the group consisting of abarcode, a universal product code, an invisible barcode, a magneticcode, a printed character, a symbol, an icon, an invisible indicia, atwo-dimensional figure, a pictorial icon, a photograph, a quantum dot, afingerprint, a radio frequency identification device, an invisible icon,a watermark, an invisible watermark, a digital watermark, a series ofalphanumeric characters, a binary code, a magnetic strip, a code, ananalog pattern, and a hieroglyphic character.
 8. A system as defined inclaim 1 wherein said printed matter is selected from the groupconsisting of a newspaper, a magazine, a book, a billboard, anadvertisement, a ticket of admission, a service directory, a businesscard, a catalog, a photograph, a graphic display, and printedstationary.
 9. A method for customizing a communications network, themethod comprising the steps of: recognizing a machine recognizablefeature with a communications device comprising a feature recognitionunit; accessing a storage device containing at least one announcement inresponse to said recognition; and, downloading said announcement for thepurpose of replacing at least a portion of a call signal with at least aportion of said announcement.
 10. A method as defined in claim 9 whereinsaid call signal is selected from the group consisting of ringbacksignals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals,network announcement signals, and dial tone signals.
 11. A method asdefined in claim 9 wherein said announcement is replaced for callersmatching at least one user-defined parameter.
 12. A method as defined inclaim 9 wherein said announcement is replaced for all callers.
 13. Amethod as defined in claim 9 wherein said machine recognizable featureis associated with a printed matter selected from the group consistingof a newspaper, a magazine, a book, a billboard, an advertisement, aticket of admission, a service directory, a business card, a catalog, aphotograph, a graphic display, and printed stationary.
 14. A method forcustomizing a communications network, the method comprising the stepsof: providing a printed matter with a machine recognizable feature;associating at least one announcement with at least one parameter inresponse to the recognition of said machine recognizable feature; and,replacing at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion ofsaid announcement.
 15. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein said callsignal is selected from the group consisting of ringback signals, busysignals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, networkannouncement signals, and dial tone signals.
 16. A system as defined inclaim 14 wherein said parameter is selected from the group consisting ofa telephone number, a network address, a time of day, a day of week, aday of year, an area code, a network address prefix, and a networkaddress suffix.
 17. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein said callsignal is replaced for at least one caller matching said parameter. 18.A method as defined in claim 14 wherein said call signal is replaced forall callers.
 19. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein said printedmatter is selected from the group consisting of a newspaper, a magazine,a book, a billboard, an advertisement, a ticket of admission, a servicedirectory, a business card, a catalog, a photograph, a graphic display,and printed stationary.
 20. A method as defined in claim 14 comprisingthe additional step of downloading said announcement to saidcommunications network.